1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a coupling member for the torque-transmitting drive connection between a driven flange on the side of the motor and a driving flange on the side of the transmission, comprising a central tubular portion and a membrane portion on the end face, where the membrane portions have connecting edges for being screwed to the driven and driving flanges, and where membrane portions and tubular portions consist of fiber-reinforced plastic material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coupling members consisting of tubular and membrane portions are mostly inserted as connecting element between the two halves of a shaft coupling or are directly inserted as shaft portion in a power train and ensure a perfect torque transmission not only because of their torsional strength, but due to the deformability of their membrane portions also provide for the compensation of the misalignment of the drive members to be coupled with each other, where different forms of membrane and tubular portion may be used depending on the requirements, and the tubuluar portions and membrane portions may be prefabricated as individual articles or be manufactured as uniform coupling elements (AT 391,355 B, AT 395,900 B, AT 395,901 B, AT 395,639 B and AT 401,963 B). However, these coupling elements require a corresponding amount of space above all in the case of high elasticity requirements, so that their use with cramped space conditions, for instance in drive systems of ships for the flexurally elastic drive connection between motor and transmission, is often difficult and for assembly purposes even requires the removal of the transmission, which definitely calls this use in question.